---
id: "action-centralize-proprietary-data"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ Ascertain where the data resides in your organization today and centralize it."]
tags: ["data-engineering", "infrastructure"]
related: ["claim-data-centralization-moat", "entity-harrahs-entertainment", "quote-uncollected-data-seed"]
action: "Consolidate siloed and unstructured proprietary data into a central infrastructure to feed future Gen AI models."
outcome: "Creation of a defensible data moat that imbues Gen AI tools with unique, firm-specific knowledge."
speakers: ["Bharat N. Anand", "Andy Wu"]
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/11/the-gen-ai-playbook-for-organizations"
source_title: "The Gen AI Playbook for Organizations"
sources: ["agentic"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-agentic"
originDay: 6
articleStem: "hbr-cl-87-genai-playbook-orgs"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/11/the-gen-ai-playbook-for-organizations"
sourceTitle: "The Gen AI Playbook for Organizations"
---
# Centralize scattered proprietary data

**Action.** Consolidate siloed and unstructured proprietary data into a central infrastructure to feed future gen AI models.

**Why.** Begin the **multi-year effort** of centralizing data currently scattered across business units, functions, and geographies — including *unstructured* data like internal emails, meeting transcripts, and operational processes. This infrastructure is required to train proprietary models rivals cannot easily copy (see [[claim-data-centralization-moat]]), following the [[entity-harrahs-entertainment|Harrah's data-warehouse playbook]]. Pair 'centralize what you have' with 'start capturing what you don't yet collect' — [[quote-uncollected-data-seed|the unplanted-seed imperative]].

**Outcome.** A defensible data moat that imbues gen AI tools with unique, firm-specific knowledge. *Caveat:* data alone is necessary but not sufficient — pair it with process quality, model engineering, and governance.